Stories and Amateur Pasty-Crafting
The first day of February delivered warmer weather with the sun sticking around long enough to melt some of the snow build-up. After settling a bellyful of pancakes and coffee, we ventured out to brave the perils of Saturday Costco. The town of Anoka lies on the way to the bastion of bulk food shopping, and in this town (self-proclaimed Halloween capital of the world) is The Swedish Crown Bakery
It's been a week since Halloween, a week since the end of October, a week since the culmination of Short As Fictober, my self-imposed, month-long writing journey. I haven't written much of anything since then, but I have had a moment to reflect on the experience and make a plan of sorts.
Because my car up and died shortly after moving to the Pacific Northwest, I'd ride my bike to and from work, which generally meant a commute home around one o'clock in the morning. On the ride, Berman's musical vehicle, The Silver Jews, would keep me company in my headphones.
Stålenhag is a Swedish visual artist, writer, musician, and tabletop RPG designer, and it seems as though he's been churning out his creative projects for a number of years. As with much of the cool art that's out there*, I'm only learning about it now, hence the whole "late to dinner" phrase in the title.
In the preface to his essay collection, Zen in the Art of Writing, Ray Bradbury writes "And what, you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right. We must earn life once it has be awarded us. Life asks for rewards back because it has favored us with animation" (xii).
I like to think about writing while I walk, and it's while thinking about writing that I try to get my writing done. In fact, it's where most of my writing's getting done these days.
bbc.co.uk Evening, friends. Today marked the first official day of summer vacation for me. (Enjoy the adjacent, celebratory picture of Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry. )Students finished up last Thursday, and most teachers were done as of Friday. I was at the school yesterday to help facilitate professional development for some snow day make-up (because … Continue reading In the Summertime
Each month the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild features a "Dear Writer" column, in which a writer (hence the very apt title) replies to a reader's question. I had the opportunity to contribute to March's column on what do with workshop advice that might lead you away from your original vision.
How Long 'Til Black Future Month? is a solid collection of Jemisin's short fiction spanning her career. And in each selection she delivers on her world building, much in the same way she did in The Fifth Season: inserting information as it becomes relevant to the narrative, avoiding huge info dumps.
Back on that bargain extolling game: City of Thieves by David Benioff This is an older book, but one of my favorite reads from last year. Quick one, too. Perfect to ride out the last vestiges of winter, or save it for a summertime hammock session. Just under two bucks for the ebook. Huzzah!
Purdy Good 